In Tran dynasty, in a village which next to Thang Long capital lived a powerful young mandarin, his name was Si Dinh Dang. He had a beautiful wife and they loved the other very much. One day, the young mandarin followed the king to be messenger who had to go to China in years. The mandarin said goodbye his wife then he set off.
At the night the mandarin set off, the god who protected the village transformed into a person who looked like the mandarin, Si Dinh Dang. The wife was surprised as she saw him. She asked:
“Why are here?”
“The king has ordered another to replace me but he also asked me to stay and play chess with him. Now the king is sleeping so I have the chance to meet you a little”, he stopped a little, “because I missed you so much, I have come here without king's permission. Therefore, I will leave early next morning”, said the god.
Though the wife had a little doubt but the gestures, actions, speeches of the person who now was front the wife explained he exactly her husband. From that time, the god went to the wife at night and left in early morning each day. The wife had no doubt, she still thought that was her husband and slept with him as normal.
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One year had passed, Si Dinh Dang came back. He felt angry as he knew that the wife who he loved so much, now, was pregnant and nearly gave birth to a child. Though he had asked her many times but what she answered him was he was child’s father. He didn’t know what to do. At last, he brought the case to the king and requested him to solve. The king ordered soldiers to prison the wife immediately and planned to interrogate in the next morning. But, that night the king dreamt a demon god showed up and frightened him.
“I am the god who reigns this place. I have a son who was prisoned by Si Dinh Dang. King, you should ask him to release my son”, the god stopped a bit, “If you don’t, I don’t sure that this place will not get peaceful anymore”.
The king woke up. He felt both surprised and nervous. Later, he called Si Dinh Dang to and said him about his dream. At last, the king turned to Si Dinh Dang and said:
“The woman was still your but the child belongs to the god. So, I will take care of the child after he is born”.
Three days later, the wife gave birth to a son. His body locked like as normal children but he had black skin. The skin went blacker when he grew up. Because of his skin, the king named him O Loi and the king didn’t know god’s family name so he gave O Loi the family name, Ha. When O Loi Ha was 15 years old, he was brought into castle to serve the king. The king treated him well as his guest.
One day, while O Loi was strolling, he met an old man with long silver hair and beard. He went cross the man but the man suddenly spoke:
“Stop boy”.
O Loi stopped and looked at the man.
The man continued, “Do you want anything, boy?”.
“Who are you?”, said O Loi.
“I am Dong Lam La (one of 8 fairies in heaven)”, said the man, “If you want anything, talk to me I will help you have the thing”.
O Loi immediately stood on his knees and tried to say clearly:
“I want to have nice face, nice voice those make people love me”.
“It is not difficult with me but what you want can help you have advantage and which also make you be in disadvantage cases. Therefore, I want you to think again”, said the man.
But O Loi insisted he only want the thing. At last, the man gave small bottle of liquid and asked him to drink then he disappeared.
O Loi turned handsome and smart from that time. Though he couldn’t read and write but he could poetize. The way he speeched made others loved him, especially women. Women who had ever heard he sang or told stories all felt in love with him. The he enticed each of them and had sex with them. The king, on other hand, treated him more well when he realized his talents.
That time, in the royal family had a princess, named Kim Lien. She was beautiful like her name, a golden lotus. The beauty made the all men who had seen her desire to have her. She had married but, unfortunately, her husband died when she was 23 years old. The widow forced herself to be faithful with her husband and had never stepped out home since that time. The king had loved her for long time but he could have no chance because the widow was respectable. Though the king was very powerful, he could force her to follow him. At last, he thought about O Loi.
One day, the king called O Loi to and talked:
“Can you make Kim Lien belong to me? I will give you reward if you can”, said the ing.
O Loi thought: “Kim Lien is a princess so it is difficult to go into her house without losing my head after that. Now, the king asks me to go in and talk to her sweet words. Here is nothing more difficult than”. But, O Loi wanted to ingratiate the king so he said clearly:
“One year, give me one year. I will bring her to you. Otherwise, I will have died”, said O Loi. Then he went out.
O Loi disguised to be a herder. He shouldered baskets went toward princess’ palace. When he arrived to, he gave guards some money and asked them to go in to cut grass. There were flowers in princess’s garden which were grown for the princess to enjoy. That time was about in May, flowers were blooming very beautiful. O Loi cut off all of them and put into his baskets. A maid went cross the place and saw. Immediately, she creamed. Guards heard the voice sprinted to. O Loi pretended as if he felt scared and ran but he was caught after that.
“I am an orphan, no father, no mother, and including no relatives. I have to wander around and hope a kindness person will rent, each day. A moment ago, a rich man gave me a little money and asked me to cut grass for his horse. Because, I am hungry so I can not go far. Fortunately, I go cross here and see the plants and think they are grass. Therefore, I go in and cut them without thinking that they are valuable flowers. Now, I have nothing to pay for them, so could you let me here and pay for them by working. I will be grateful if you do that”, said O Loi.
People felt pathetic as they had heard but they thought that he had owner. Therefore, they kept him stay at the gate each day to wait his owner. Every day, each person brought food to him. He used to sing and that made people who brought food to him be attracted. They forgot their works when they heard he sang.
One day, the sun had set but none in the palace turned on lamps. The princess had called servant for long time but no body replied her. At last, she went out her room and went to other rooms to find them but she couldn’t see them. Later, the pulled together back. She scolded them and asked guards to punish them. Immediately, they stood on knees and explained:
“It is him, the herder. He sing so well we can not ignore his voice”, they said.
“I ignore this time but if you do it again, I will punish all of you painfully”, said the princess.
One night in summer it is very hot so the princess went out and stayed in garden. She watched the moon and suddenly she caught the voice that was nice voice.
“Who is singing?”, she asked.
“That is the herder”, replied her maid.
“Call him coming here”, he said.
The princess liked O Loi as she saw him. The O Loi became princess’ servant who served the princess and her guests songs and tales. He had his mistress’trust fastly. Days passed, the princess started falling in love with him. She was fascinated then she had sex with him.
She planned to buy field and house for him but he wanted nothing but a hat. The hat the princess was gifted by the previous king was decorated by gemstones and peacock feathers and especially, it was unique. The charm made her can give him any thing if he asked her. Therefore, she gave him the hat without doubt.
When O Loi had the hat, he disappeared at one. He went toward the castle. He said the king whole story that made the king satisfied. Immediately, the king forced soldiers to go and call the princess went in the castle.
When the princess came in the castle, she saw O Loi had stood by the king with the hat on his head.
“Do you know this man?”, said the king.
The princess’ cheeks went red but she chose not to reply. Course the princess could not be faithful with her husband anymore.
From that time, the king treated O Loi much well he could. The king informed to others that:
“If any body catchs O Loi having sex with a woman unlawfully. Escort him to me, I will give the person a big money but if any body dares to harm him, I will punish the person”.
King’s order was spread out and none dared to ignore. Therefore, O Loi turned arrogant. He had sex with any body he wanted. They included royals.
One day, he came to Minh Uy’ s home who was father’s queen and had sex with his other daughter. Minh Uy was staying on a tower and saw the stranger. He called his servants and asked them to catch the stranger. Of course, they had caught O Loi who was in his dear daughter’s room. He was very angry but he thought about the king and didn’t dare to kill O Loi. He asked servant to prison O Loi.
The next morning Minh Uy hurriedly went in castle to meet the king. He reported:
“Last night, O Loi came in my house. Because it was so dark and I thought that was a thief so I had forced servant to beat him. when I realized he was O Loi, he had died. Could I pay for it?”, said Minh Uy.
The king thought that O Loi had died so he said:
“None can see clearly in dark. So, I don’t want to make the thing loudly for nothing”, said the king.
Minh Uy felt peace of mind and came home. He asked his servants to beat O Loi but O Loi seemed not have any harm. He still smirked as he was beaten. At last, Minh Uy forced his servant crushed O Loi in rice mill. That time, O Loi died.
THE END
"Translated by Hung Nguyen"
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